Confirmation that there are no tea bagger Mensas

[Cyrano]

It seems to me that, by definition, tea baggers are some of the dimmest bulbs on the block. Now, a psychologist at Brock University in Toronto has published a study that seems to confirm that.

A very short one page summary is at this link and well worth a quick read.

http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/01/04/0956797611421206.abstract


So if they’re so dumb, how come they’re screwing up the country? It’s because of the dicks who use them as their front line troops.


(Thanks for this link to jcricket who cited it in a response on Rachel Maddow’s blog. The article is from last year.)

[patrice]

1. KICKING!

[SharonAnn]

2. There are Libertarian and right-wing Mensans. I am a Mensan and I know some of these.

I haven't explored the "Tea Party" affinity, however.

There are engineers I know who are very right-wing. That perhaps that fits with black/white, either/or type of thinking. Don't really know.

Mensans, at least around here, are pretty conservative Republicans. And some seem to be racist.

[Cyrano]

5. Don't know what to say, SharonAnn.

Evidently, being a Mensa and being a political know-nothing racist are mutually exclusive with the people you're speaking of.

[michreject]

8. My wife is a member of Mensa

And is a moderate right-winger.

She worked as salary/mgt. her whole career while I belong to the UAW. Needless to say it's been one hell of a ride.

Sometimes she thinks I'm a heartless bastard.

[Duppers]

14. I don't see how you do it

I couldn't, but best wishes to you!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/m-gary-neuman/we-vs-me-couples_b_2618151.html

[djean111]

3. Remember the scene in the first Indiana Jones movie

where the evil guy in the marketplace was showily displaying all his mad killer whip skilz and Indiana watched, shrugged, and calmly pulled out his gun and shot him?
Reverse the good guy - bad guy roles, and I think this is something that sort of shapes an awful lot of life.
The Tea Partiers don't want to think, they don't need no stinking charts or figures, they just go ahead and shoot.
Some of the worst things that have happened to me have been done by people who just went ahead and did shit while I was thinking of all the reasons they wouldn't do such a thing.
You think Bush gave all his decider stuff much thought? Nope. He just went and did it while everyone else was preparing power-points for the meeting where he would surely see he was wrong.

Vote yes to a bill saying Bush would declare war IF WMD were proven to be in Iraq? Bang! Close enough.

[libtodeath]

4. You cant look at what the wealthy do with there money (hoard it) and think it is good

for the economy and claim to be intelligent.
They are stupid.

[Cyrano]

6. Being rich and being "intelligent" really are

mutually exclusive.

I've spent enough time in and around the corporate world to realize that many at the top aren't that bright. All of them have MBAs, but they're really only good at what they do and making lots of money while they do it. Outside of their disciplines, many of them are clueless.

I remember being at a corporate "retreat" one time and there was an inspirational speaker who said things like "... and you have to treat your employees like human beings." As amazing as it seems, some of the execs I was sitting near we're writing down "Treat employees as human beings." -- That's a true story. -- And I'm just guessing, but I'd bet that the Koch brothers fall into this category.

[laundry_queen]

7. I believe this

in a general sense. I'm sure there are genius conservatives, but the ones I've met (ahem, my brother - maybe no genius, but mensa material and an engineer) tend to be also quite narcissistic. Since I've been on Facebook, I noticed an interesting trend. I'm now friends with most of my graduating class from high school. Without a single exception, the dumbass kids who often flunked things and/or were bullies are conservative/racist/sexist types (the kind of people who post so much idiotic crap i have to unsub from them) and the ones who were at the top of our classes (yours truly included) are ALL 'radical leftists' (by U.S. standards, but I'm in Canada so we lean NDP). This is without exception. I thought it was a very interesting observation.

[Cyrano]

10. Another interesting observation,

laundry_queen, is that I can't imagine any conservative living by, or even approving of your signature line.

[laundry_queen]

12. Oh, of course not

I mean, besides the fact that the person who said it was leader of the NDP, a party that the US would call socialist - conservatives are all about forcing people through strong arm tactics, LIKE fear and anger, to agree with them. Now I will admit to using the sig line as a reminder to myself, and I struggle every day to live by it, but I also cannot imagine a conservative trying to change the world through hope, optimism and love...they just don't have it in them.

And I'd also like to take this opportunity to point out that Jack Layton wasn't some wishy-washy peace-nik or whatever. He stood his ground on issues that were important to him (unions, fair wages, the environment, universal health care, childcare etc etc) and while maybe not liked by the right, he was WELL respected. Something Democrats sometimes don't get - you can be loving, hopeful, optimistic and you can also be effective and stand your ground for your principles and your opposition will respect you all the more for doing it.

In the election in which his party won official opposition - a first for the NDP - his ads were FULL of optimism. My conservative family was extremely moved by the ads. They had a 'we're all in this together' feel to them. Jack Layton once said, back in the beginning of his political career that someone called him a 'whiner' because all he did was complain about the right. He said from that point on, he decided to change his demeanor and live life joyously, even in politics. He quickly rocketed to the top of the NDP. You rarely saw him without a smile on his face (but don't mistake that for weakness - the fact is he was VERY good at shutting down the opposition with pithy and truthful remarks...) It IS possible to be both.

*sigh* I miss Jack Layton (he died shortly after penning the letter that contains the line in my sig line). Thanks for giving me the opportunity to babble on.

[Cyrano]

13. Thanks, lq. Always nice to learn something new.

[whistler162]

9. Not another sucker test article....

guess they found you and others!

[Cyrano]

11. No sucker. No test.

Just an interesting item. Believe it. Don't believe it.